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Wii Vitality Sensor Can Be The Next Balance Board – Nintendo
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimes hopes the Wii Vitality Sensor can follow in the footsteps of the Wii Balance Board, which he describes as arguably "the third largest development platform across the globe.”
Speaking to Fast Company, he said that Nintendo would carry on pushing the envelope as it had done by introducing Wii motion controls, while rivals Sony and Microsoft continue “looking over their shoulder at what we've been able to do, and are trying to participate.”
The Wii Vitality Sensor goes over the end of its user’s finger and detects their pulse, but it’s unclear how the peripheral will work with games as compatible software has yet to be demoed.
“… All I can tell you is, with the game developers that we have, we will bring forth an experience that you will say, ‘Wow, I get it.’ Until you have that software, it's tough to understand,” said Fils-Aimes. “If I told you that you would be standing on an oversized bathroom scale, and having fun doing it, you probably would have said, ‘Reggie, I don't get it.’ And yet here we are with the balance board arguably as the third largest development platform across the globe.
“… The fact is that Nintendo will continue to push the envelope on what a gaming experience is. Now, we're doing that, because as we showed, there are a 150 million consumers in the markets that we do business, that say they'd be interested in video games if they had the right content, but today don't play. Those are the consumers that we believe something like the Vitality Sensor with the right software could compel to get in the game.”
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Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court 30 Monmouth Street Bath, UK BA1 2BW
England and Wales company registration number 2008885
ehh I'd rather nintendo work on the next big game rather than the next big fad...
The Vitality Sensor could be the next "big thing" for the Wii. All Nintendo need to do is target woman with such a peripheral and bundle it with "will i find my man" software.
Such a peripheral could be the new dildo for such a demographic. lol
This is true. The Wii-Ware "Love-Meter" is an absolute certainty.
it's hard for me to swallow that this is considered "gaming".
Couldn't Nintendo just retro-fit Mattel's old Power Gloves to include Wiimote capability and the vitality sensor tech? Be more fun that having than having that thing strapped on me.
Wait wait wait. People are having fun with the balance board?
Haven't met a girl yet that's tried it and thought it wasn't awesome.
Nintendo simply tried to attract non-players and this is another further step in that direction.
New Business From Nothing...chapeaux
People.
that picture is soo sexy.
Nintendo is successfully pushing the boundaries of gaming. Guess what part of your body their next peripheral slides around?
The thing I don't get with this is it's massive! I don't think I'd be able to hold a nunchuk at the same time as wearing this?
I assume the idea is that in some games, it could kind of measure how scared, or psyched you are, so that if you're feeling a bit nervous it could make zombies jump out, or something? I can see some interesting uses for it, but it just seems like it'd be better as either a much smaller object, or a thing to clip on your wii-mote or something, so you can stick an unused (i.e. little) finger in it.
Still, nintendo's been hitting them well so far, so I'm sure there's a plan.
Additional content: Why can't they make this work with the DS too?
I agree, I think it could somehow measure through your O2 level and pulse (this looks like a simple pulse oximeter) your level of scared-ness. Though, it would require you to take a control test prior so they know what your resting or "non-scared" pulse is. I also worry about its practicality in traditional gaming considering you need your fingers. It could be just another form of physiological measuring for work-out games and nothing much more than that. But where do we draw the line between gaming and work-out applications? What’s next, Wii-blood-pressure monitor? Or maybe we can drag an ECG machine around or a holter monitor? See if the next Luigi’s Mansion game induces a myocardial infarction.
Maybe it can send messages to your DS, over Wi-Fi, telling you whether you should ask for sex , or if you're better off leaving your wife on Wii Fit while you go play Halo for the rest of the night.
well, Nintendo has taught not to underestimate its most extravagant products...who knows?
For example, something like that could work for games like Trauma Center XD
It would explain the "real life" element Majesco's been talking about in their upcoming Wii game - Drinkin' Momma.
From what I've seen, I think it uses the port on the WiiMote that your Nunchuk usually plugs into.
I think it would take a miracle-worker of a studio to meaningfully incorpoate this into a game, and make it anything other than a hideous gimmick.
Either that, or it'll be just like the Balance Board, which really hasn't been used for anything other than exercise or snowboarding/skateboarding, and there's not much else it can be used for.
"Either that, or it'll be just like the Balance Board, which really hasn't been used for anything other than exercise or snowboarding/skateboarding, and there's not much else it can be used for."
It can be used for dodging in Punch-Out!!.........and is really quite fun in that regard. Makes the game far more challenging and "life-like" in my personal opinion.
Punch Out, lifelike?
Please note the quotation marks on either end of that term.
What's up Ozzy? Long time no talk. This is totally off subject but I saw Harry Potter last night (I think it's been out in the UK for a week or something now). It was good, didn't hold up to the books (I don't think they ever could).
Hey Nick. Yes, I don't frequent this site much anymore, so it has been a while.
I've never read a Harry Potter book, nor watched a Harry Potter movie so I can't really comment on the comparison, but I agree that in general, movies rarely end up being as good as a book read. Could it be because what we imagine in our heads is more lasting then watching someone else's interpretation on the screen? These are the mysteries of life.
Speaking of mysteries, bought another Wii yet ; )
Me neither. I'll post once or twice a week or so.
What I've noticed about Harry Potter movies vs. the books is that you don't know what's going on in the heads of the characters in the movies, but when you're reading the book describes exactly what the characters are thinking and feeling so you get more character development and more connection with the characters because you really know them better. There's a lot of communication between the character and you that isn't always verbal, and in a way a movie could never accommodate (cause not all emotions are easily conveyed with just looks/non verbal communication). That's my take on it.
Lol, Hmm, don't think I'll ever buy another one. I only play my 360 once or twice a week now anyway, family and kids are pretty much depleting all my spare time. I'll probably get my son a DSi though (he doesn't have a DS at all).
When you going to join the rest of us and move to one of the HD twins (360 preferably of course)?
The level of conversation seems to have dropped here lately. Especially without Kim_Naroz. Gosh how I miss him.
See, it's kind of a trade-off. Movies can tell you more via stuff like a glance or some sort of facial expression, which you can't get from reading a book. Whereas the narrative of a book can tell you a lot more detail that a movie can't. Guess it depends how much depth and emotion you want in your characters. Personally, I think the best is a movie with a narrator, you get the best of both worlds that way. Kind like Morgan Freeman in whatever that prison movie was (i'm gonna kick myself later for not knowing it now). I think him narrating added a whole lot more to it.
Buying ANOTHER NIntendo product? A portable this time? You better watch it, people will start to talk.
An HD twin isn't really of benefit to me without owning an HD TV. Since I rarely watch movies, and download all my TV shows on PC, it's really not a priority on my list for the 9 hours a week of gaming I do. Besides, graphics are low on my list of priorities when it comes to gaming so paying more money for graphics just doesn't make financial sense for me right now. My SD Wii does what I need it for. Since I'm not big on online shooters, the other 2 consoles don't tickle my fancy right now for their price point.
Heh, the difference between Kim and Hunk was that Kim would at least say ridiculous things that we could at least debate even though he himself never actually responded. Hunk would say stuff that 99% of us would disagree with because it was even more rubbish than what Kim was saying. I don't know if that make sense or not. Plus, there haven’t been any real big stories as of late either (post E3 syndrome). This Thursday will be another big disappointment for the big 3's NPD numbers, which will give us something to talk about.
Hey, remember I used to be as big of a Nintendo fanboy as I am Xbox now. The DS is awesome, I USED to have one, loved the Castlevania games on there. SotN-style Castlevania is the shit.
Fair enough. Though, the games still look significantly better on the PS3/360 on an SD set than games on the Wii on an SD set. But like you said, graphics aren't your concern. But, it's not just graphics where the HD twins have a technical edge, but again that seems to not be your priority which is totally fine.
Kim was at least fun to slag, because he wouldn't respond, and people comments would just pile up after each of his posts. Hunk would respond with something equally puzzling as his first comment, most of which I couldn't understand in the first place. Plus, he'd include 4 links per post. Where's the fun in that? Give me CAPS and bullet points anyday.
Yes, i remember you mentioning being a Nintendo player back in the day.Haven't personally touched a DS yet, so can't really comment. By bro gave me his old PSP-1000, loaded with, legitimate I'm SURE, games, so that covers the 6 airplane rides a year I need a portable for. Speaking of Castlevania games, The Dracula X Chronicles remake on the PSP is top notch, as is the SOTN remake included with it. If you're a fan of the series, I suggest you play them any chance you get, well worth it. I'm a huge fan of the series as well.
I'm part of the oddball, 4% of the population out there that prefer waggle over dual-analog. To me, holding a controller and pushing buttons is kinda boring, been doing it since '84. I like me my waggle, with the occasional controller action. But that's why there's different flavours of consoles, just like there's different flavours of Jell-O.
Yeah, I genuinely see this as being potentially cool--especially for conversations/events in a Mass Effect-style RPG.